LIV Golf

Smith reveals 'biggest reason' for LIV switch as Aussie joins rebels in $140m PGA blow.

“I hate what it’s doing to the game of golf. Ever since remaining coy on his future, Smith has faced a barrage of scrutiny around his decision to join the rebels. I really do,” McIlroy said of his strong anti-LIV stance. I hate it. I’ll be able to spend more time at home in Australia and maybe have an event down there, as well. “The biggest thing for me joining is [LIV’s] schedule is really appealing.

The chance to spend more time at home in Australia thanks to LIV Golf's longer offseason was a big factor, accorrding to Smith, in his decision to leave the ...

But when he tees it up at The International on Friday, he will be suspended by the PGA Tour and become ineligible to compete at Quail Hollow later in September. That said, Smith’s decision to join LIV means he will have to forego playing for the International team in the upcoming Presidents Cup. Smith and the new signings will make their debut for LIV Golf, which is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, this week at The International in Bolton, Mass., the 54-hole event being played Sept. [Open champion](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/british-open-2022-cameron-smith-wins) was the biggest of the [six signings LIV Golf officials announced](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/liv-golf-cam-smith-boston-niemann-varner-leishman) ahead of this week’s LIV Golf Invitational event outside of Boston. “I’ll be able to spend more time at home in Australia and maybe have an event down there, as well. “[Money] was definitely a factor in making that decision, I won’t ignore that or say that wasn’t a reason,” Smith said.

LIV Golf announced Tuesday that Cameron Smith, the world No. 2 and Open Championship winner, was among six players who will make their debuts in LIV Golf's ...

[Patrick Cantlay](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/6007/patrick-cantlay), [Sam Burns](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/9938/sam-burns), [Justin Thomas](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/4848/justin-thomas), [Scottie Scheffler](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/9478/scottie-scheffler), [Xander Schauffele](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/10140/xander-schauffele) and [Tony Finau](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/2230/tony-finau) have already qualified. [Hideki Matsuyama](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/5860/hideki-matsuyama), [Sungjae Im](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/11382/sungjae-im), Tom Kim, [Corey Conners](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/9126/corey-conners), [Mito Pereira](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/9931/mito-pereira) and Scott have qualified for the team. [Joaquin Niemann](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/11099/joaquin-niemann) (the 19th-ranked player in the world), [Harold Varner III](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/6991/harold-varner-iii) (No. 46), [Cameron Tringale](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/4645/cameron-tringale) (No. 62) and India's [Anirban Lahiri](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/4989/anirban-lahiri) (No. 55), Australia's [Marc Leishman](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/3351/marc-leishman) (No. [Trevor Immelman](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/215/trevor-immelman) is scheduled to announce his captain's choices on Sept. [Davis Love III](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/278/davis-love-iii) will also add six captain's choices on Sept. [Adam Scott](https://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/388/adam-scott) said. It's a blow for the International team, which already figured to be a sizable underdog to the Americans. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking and won the 150th Open Championship at St. Smith, 29, is leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, the new circuit announced Tuesday.

Cameron Smith Officially Signs With LIV Golf. Smith joins the LIV Golf series, with both The Open and Players Championship titles under his belt.

Now a freelance writer for Golf Monthly and the PGA, he covers all aspects of the game, from Tour news to equipment testing and buyers’ guides. "LIV Golf is showing the world that our truly global league is attracting the world’s best players and will grow the game into the future for the next generation,” said Norman, CEO and Commissioner of LIV Golf. "The best and the brightest continue to embrace the excitement and energy of LIV Golf and what we’re building: a tangible league for team golf that will connect with new audiences all over the globe. The World No.2 is the best-ranked player to join the breakaway circuit and an enormous coup for the long-term success of the Series. The acquisition of Smith is a significant one. [A post shared by LIV Golf (@livgolfinv)](opens in new tab)

The others include fellow Aussie Marc Leishman, Chile's Joaquin Niemann, India's Anirban Lahiri and Americans Cameron Tringale and Harold Varner III. The loss ...

But when he tees it up at The International on Friday, he will be suspended by the PGA Tour and become ineligible to compete at Quail Hollow later in September. “I’m sure with Leish and I playing it’ll be appealing for LIV [to take an event there],” Smith said. “For me personally, I love teams golf, and it’s something I wish I could have more often,” Smith said. Smith moved to the US in 2015 while securing Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour. “I’ll be able to spend more time at home in Australia and maybe have an event down there, as well. “It was obviously a business decision for one and an offer I couldn’t ignore.”

After months of speculation, two of Australian golf's highest-profile stars have officially agreed to join Greg Norman's Saudi-backed tour.

“The PGA of Australia is a member-based organisation and we exist to support golf and all the membership base. Smith could have jumped to world No.1 if he had won the FedEx Cup, but couldn’t mount a challenge in the Tour Championship in Atlanta after starting six shots behind Scottie Scheffler. And he’s also got a player at the peak of his powers. LIV has sent employees to Australia in recent weeks to scout potential venues for a tournament down under next year. “I’ll be able to spend more time at home in Australia and maybe have an event down there as well. “It was obviously a business decision for one and an offer I couldn’t ignore.”

Though many reports had pegged the Japanese star and 2021 Masters champ as one of the handful of players expected to bolt to LIV Golf after the Tour's season ...

“The opportunity to join LIV Golf is simply too good of a financial breakthrough for me to pass by,” the 32-year-old who has made just over $10 million in his career on Tour said in a statement. “It was obviously a business decision for one and an offer I couldn’t ignore.”The others who left for LIV are Harold Varner III, Marc Leishman, Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Tringale and Anirban Lahiri. This money is going to ensure that my kid and future Varners will have a solid base to start on — and a life I could have only dreamt about growing up.” Following Matsuyama’s historic Masters victory, one sports marketing exec told Sportico that the win could easily be worth $600 million, or $20 million a year off the course for the next three decades. A representative for Matsuyama also confirmed to The Post that Matsuyama will play in the Presidents Cup, as well as defend his title at the Zozo in October. The reason, the source said, was that Matsuyama was torn between his legacy — he was the first player from Japan to win a men’s major championship — and ditching his career for what amounts to nothing more than a cash grab.

The Australian world No.2 has shocked no one by joining LIV but is certain to cop heavy criticism.

Now ranked 62nd in the world he has reached No.12 in the past and has twice finished in the top five in both the Open and the Masters. Several leading figures for European Ryder Cup teams in the past, such as Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood, have defected to LIV. He was also tied for third at The Masters, one of three top-5 Masters finishes in the last five years. The $A36m Boston event features a 48-man field playing 54 holes. “It was obviously a business decision for one and an offer I couldn’t ignore.” “I’ll be able to spend more time at home in Australia and maybe have an event down there, as well.

Smith admission to send shivers down PGA's spine as undeniable golf truth emerges.

The fact it only did so once its members were provided with a legitimate alternative in LIV Golf is not a good look. Next year, players will need to feature in a minimum of 20 PGA Tour events to share in the $146 million in bonuses from the Player Impact Program (PIP). Furthermore, The PGA Tour holds a “strategic alliance” with the DP World Tour, but it’s far from an even partnership. I wouldn’t be surprised if that changes because that puts me in a difficult position.” I’ll be able to spend more time at home in Australia and maybe have an event down there, as well. None of this to say is that LIV Golf is in some way better than the PGA Tour, or the DP World Tour for that matter. “The biggest thing for me joining is (LIV’s) schedule is really appealing. In fact, it now feels crucial to the game, given both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have reached a point of power in which they can negatively impact the other. He’s a great kid. He represents himself very well. LIV Golf is still a long way from being as strong as the PGA Tour, but it is seemingly in good health and about to embark on its biggest push yet with two events in September and three in October. [ by ](https://www.foxsports.com.au/golf/pga-tour-2022-liv-golf-news-fedex-cup-greg-norman-responds-to-critics-interview-kerry-packer/news-story/a9008b2ecda10fca7517bc639ee21aa6) [foxsports.com.au ](https://www.foxsports.com.au/golf/pga-tour-2022-liv-golf-news-fedex-cup-greg-norman-responds-to-critics-interview-kerry-packer/news-story/a9008b2ecda10fca7517bc639ee21aa6) [earlier this month about when he knew that LIV Golf was going to take off](https://www.foxsports.com.au/golf/pga-tour-2022-liv-golf-news-fedex-cup-greg-norman-responds-to-critics-interview-kerry-packer/news-story/a9008b2ecda10fca7517bc639ee21aa6), Norman said: “It was my signature on my employment agreement back on August the 30th of last year.

Australian world No.2 Cameron Smith has been confirmed as LIV Golf's biggest signing to date with Marc Leishman also joining the Saudi-backed rebel circuit.

The $A36m Boston event features a 48-man field playing 54 holes. Queenslander Smith has had a stellar season, winning the Players Championship as well as the Open. “I’ll be able to spend more time at home in Australia and maybe have an event down there, as well. The local body said it would continue to navigate through the changes to world golf, which it described as in “a state of flux”. “These two major Australian events headline the upcoming summer of golf, one of the biggest for years, and there’s no doubt our fans are looking forward to our growing line-up of homegrown stars like Cam Smith and Marc Leishman,” Davis said in a statement on Wednesday. Both players are still eligible for the Australian PGA at Royal Queensland in November followed by the Australian Open at the Victoria GC, with PGA of Australia chair Rodger Davis welcoming them to the the summer of golf.

Australia's Cameron Smith, world No.2 and reigning British Open champion, has joined the rebel golf circuit LIV Golf.

But the PGA Tour will not release players to participate in LIV events, and several golfers have been suspended for defecting. was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey in 2018. Now ranked 62nd in the world he has reached No.12 in the past and has twice finished in the top five in both the Open and the Masters. Prize money for LIV tournaments far exceeds that on offer by the PGA and two LIV events have been held so far. He was also tied for third at The Masters, one of three top-5 Masters finishes in the last five years. Now, he's under great scrutiny by his peers because of his new venture that has the financial backing of Saudi Arabia.

After months of speculation, two of Australian golf's highest-profile stars have officially agreed to join Greg Norman's Saudi-backed tour.

“The PGA of Australia is a member-based organisation and we exist to support golf and all the membership base. Smith could have jumped to world No.1 if he had won the FedEx Cup, but couldn’t mount a challenge in the Tour Championship in Atlanta after starting six shots behind Scottie Scheffler. And he’s also got a player at the peak of his powers. LIV has sent employees to Australia in recent weeks to scout potential venues for a tournament down under next year. “I’ll be able to spend more time at home in Australia and maybe have an event down there as well. “It was obviously a business decision for one and an offer I couldn’t ignore.”

The DP World Tour has confirmed it will make a decision over the future of LIV Golf rebel players in its tournaments in February 2023.

A modification to the points system, Donald believes, provides increased opportunity for players competing predominantly on the DP World Tour than was previously the case. On the day when Ryder Cup Europe confirmed the captain, Luke Donald, will have six wildcard picks for the biennial event in Rome next September, the DP World Tour’s chief executive, Keith Pelley, sent an upbeat correspondence to members. In demonstrating how volatile this scenario is, none of the 18 will play in the pre-tournament pro-am or appear on television’s featured groups.

LIV Golf players hoping to keep their DP World Tour cards have found out when their fate will be decided.

A total of 18 LIV players are set to play at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth next week, many due to a loophole which admits the top 60 in the world rankings. [• LIV Boston: How and where to watch](https://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-news/liv-boston-how-and-where-to-watch-on-tv) [• OFFICIAL: Cameron Smith joins LIV Golf](https://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-news/confirmed-cam-smith-signs-for-liv-golf) It opens the door for LIV players to take part in the DP World Tour Championship, should they qualify, as well as the season-opening events in Dubai and Abu Dhabi at the beginning of the year.

Golf's latest villain will have more money in his account and time on his hands but his reputation among traditionalists has taken a significant hit.

Now Norman has the world No 2 – and some measure of revenge on the PGA – the coup de gras will be to bring a LIV tournament to Australia, clearly something Smith is also craving. He and Rupert Murdoch proposed a World Golf Tour in 1994 only for the PGA to squash it. Norman revealed earlier this month that LIV is looking to hold an event in Australia in 2023 and has been scouting potential venues. “LIV Golf is showing the world that our truly global league is attracting the world’s best players and will grow the game into the future for the next generation,” Norman crowed. Their dual defection brings Norman’s zealous quest for an Australian team to contest the LIV’s “club” shoot-out a few steps closer to reality. Smith, 29, was closing on the No 1 ranking, a feat only three Australians have achieved, and has the game to rattle the history books.

LIV Golf announced Tuesday that Cameron Smith, the world No. 2 and Open Championship winner, was among six players who will make their debuts in LIV Golf's ...

[Hideki Matsuyama](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/5860/hideki-matsuyama), [Sungjae Im](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/11382/sungjae-im), Tom Kim, [Corey Conners](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/9126/corey-conners), [Mito Pereira](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/9931/mito-pereira) and Scott have qualified for the team. [Patrick Cantlay](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/6007/patrick-cantlay), [Sam Burns](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/9938/sam-burns), [Justin Thomas](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/4848/justin-thomas), [Scottie Scheffler](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/9478/scottie-scheffler), [Xander Schauffele](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/10140/xander-schauffele) and [Tony Finau](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/2230/tony-finau) have already qualified. [Joaquin Niemann](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/11099/joaquin-niemann) (the 19th-ranked player in the world), [Harold Varner III](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/6991/harold-varner-iii) (No. 62) and India's [Anirban Lahiri](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/4989/anirban-lahiri) (No. 46), [Cameron Tringale](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/4645/cameron-tringale) (No. 55), Australia's [Marc Leishman](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/3351/marc-leishman) (No. [Trevor Immelman](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/215/trevor-immelman) is scheduled to announce his captain's choices Sept. [Adam Scott](http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/388/adam-scott) said. It's a blow for the International team, which already figured to be a sizable underdog to the Americans. "It was obviously a business decision for one and an offer I couldn't ignore. We can't wait to tee off this week at The International and deliver another memorable event experience for fans." 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking and won the 150th Open Championship at St.

Once again in the lead up to one its events, LIV Golf has taken over the news cycle of the golf world, and beyond. The signature of six new players, ...

An aspect that will make his appearance this week even more interesting to view if he has taken any notice of the exterior noise. Playing over 200 yards, the par-3 penultimate hole won’t trouble these golfers with its waste bunker up the left side, the challenge coming in the form of a raised green that will surely see plenty of balls repelled when attacking pins cut close to the edge. “The good bones that already were in place went a long way in getting the job done and The International team’s golf-first approach freed us up to implement the signature aspects our group has developed over the years.” Beyond Smith’s intrigue, Bubba Watson will also make his first appearance since signing with the Saudi backed league, but in a non-playing capacity as he continues to recover from injury. The signature of six new players, most notably Cam Smith, garnering plenty of attention. Once again in the lead up to one its events, LIV Golf has taken over the news cycle of the golf world, and beyond.

The golf world fell in love with Cameron Smith when he rang his dad rang shortly after his British Open triumph. One of the next calls he took changed his ...

No one has ever had a reason to dislike Smith, who is just as comfortable mixing with caddies as fellow players and spent the days after his Claret Jug success entering a fishing competition in Florida. What’s to stop him buying part of the Brisbane Broncos and dragging those same mates off Caxton Street into the corporate suites? Smith had bristled at a question from a reporter in his British Open press conference asking as much. He did his business in private, with a shrewd phone call shortly after. It didn’t involve his Queensland dad Des breaking down on the other end of the line, after his son had only minutes earlier walked off the 18th green at St Andrews, kicking himself he wasn’t there to see it. It would potentially require Smith working with Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia to find a suitable spot in the schedule and venue, but suddenly the British Open champion has the funds - and clout - to start his own event if he wanted, which would be a magnet for corporate support.

Cameron Smith has signed with Liv Golf, so what course might he play at in an Australian tournament?

"Obviously Greg Norman is very familiar with the Brookwater project given he had a financial interest in it in the early days of the project and was also the designer of the golf course." "We were told they had visited another three courses in Queensland in addition to Brookwater, they've been to a course in New South Wales and they were about to head off to look at a course in Adelaide," he said. "I would think if they are looking at a Queensland event, Brookwater would be one of the frontrunners, I think, if they're looking at Brisbane," he said. LIV Golf is backed by the Saudi government's Public Investment Fund and led by Australian golfing great Greg Norman, who said the latest signings were a victory. Springfield City Group, the developer which owns the Brookwater Golf and Country Club, revealed it had met with LIV golf officials about venues to host a tournament next year. A Springfield golf course is among the venues setting its sights on hosting a LIV Golf tournament next year.

Cameron Smith joins up with LIV Golf, as well as five others in Boston.

— Player I haven’t been able to do that, and to get that part of my life back was really appealing." Smith, the 2022 Open Championship winner, joined the circuit officially on Aug. But the tour is continuing its international appeal, as well by adding six more golfers ahead of this weekend's event, including world No.

Opinions on the latest additions to the Series were plentiful as well-known figures had their say on social media.

Nope they’re irrelevant now.Have you seen the finishes the last two weeks on the pga tour. I think..... Interesting to see how they do that going forward I do think that The Tour has changed for the better, but they have lost a lot of young and veteran talent that you cannot easily replace. The civil war continues. A big key here is that a lot of these players have major championship exemptions under the current criteria. Whatever you think about LIV and the PGA Tour, that's important and impressive. [August 30, 2022] The youngest player in the world's top 20. Here's what people had to say. Not everyone was impressed with the signings, though, including former NFL player Brandon Stokley, who remains bullish on the PGA Tour's ability to entertain and doesn't see the ongoing exodus as a big loss. By far the biggest name in the list is World No.2 and current Open champion Cameron Smith.

The DP World Tour has asked the LIV Golf players scheduled to compete in the BMW PGA Championship to refrain from wearing LIV logos on their clothes and ...

"It's going to be odd seeing certain people, obviously, at Wentworth," Fitzpatrick said. "That is going to be a bit weird, and obviously it's a little bit disappointing. Two LIV Golf players who plan to compete in the BMW PGA Championship, set for Sept. Pelley suspended and fined DP World Tour players who signed with LIV Golf from three events it co-sanctions with the PGA Tour, but the punishment was temporarily blocked by an arbiter in England. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has suspended members who competed in LIV Golf tournaments without conflicting-event releases. "I hate it.

With nearly 20 LIV Golf players descending on the home of the DP World Tour, the BMW PGA Championship becomes the latest battlefield in professional golf's ...